Blood pressure medication recall — how do I check if my dad's prescription is affected?
Saw the FDA bumped that chlorthalidone recall to Class II. Over 25,000 bottles, made by Inventia Healthcare, 25mg tablets that might not dissolve right. My dad takes a water pill for blood pressure and I am not sure of the brand or manufacturer. Where on the bottle do I find the lot code? And if his bottle is one of the affected batches (RISA24001, RISB24002, RISA24002), what is the actual move — call the pharmacist, call the doctor, do not just stop cold? Not trying to pay for an office visit if the pharmacy can just swap it.
2 answers
- Photograph the bottle, then call the pharmacy.
Went through this with my dad last year. Take a photo of the lot number on his bottle, then call the pharmacy — not the doctor first. Pharmacists have the actual lot database and can usually swap it the same day. Keep taking it until you get a confirmed answer; a Class II recall means reversible risk, not a drop-everything emergency. Put a sticky note on the bottle with the new lot once it is swapped so you are not guessing next time.
- Check the lot code against the FDA list
Two checks, both take a minute. First, look at the label on your dad's bottle: the manufacturer should say Inventia Healthcare Limited and the lot code should be printed near the expiration date (April 2027 on the recalled batches). The three affected lot codes are RISA24001, RISB24002, and RISA24002, 25mg tablets in 100- and 1000-count bottles. Second, do not have him stop taking it cold — stopping a diuretic abruptly can spike blood pressure. The practical move is to call the pharmacy first: they can confirm the lot, and they handle the swap through the recall channel. FDA classified it Class II, meaning the health risk is expected to be temporary or reversible, but the pills may be delivering less medicine than labeled, so it is worth the call this week.